Pitch invasion and cop clashes mar Boss-DeMbare match; Govt vows arrests

Dynamos were leading 2-0 at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo when Highlanders fans objected to the refereeing, chanting “Zanu-PF rigged”.

The match was abandoned after fans invaded the pitch and missiles were thrown.

Footage on social media captured police with dogs and teargas breaking up the protest.

Outside the stadium, police aimed water cannons at fans.

Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said on X/Twitter that everyone involved in the clashes will get their “comeuppance”.

“It’s called football hooliganism, it can’t be explained away. It can’t be justified and it won’t be excused. There is nothing admirable about it, absolutely nothing emulated. It needs to be nipped in the bud by making sure everyone gets their comeuppance,” said Mangwana.

The fans’ references to the disputed election was downplayed by the Zanu-PF Youth League.

“The desperation on the opposition ranks is legendary. Yesterday, a referee refused to award a penalty to a Highlanders player at Barbourfields after being fouled by a Dynamos player. Naturally, fans got irritated and invaded the pitch, which is wrong and a trend at Barbourfields Stadium,” it said.

“However, political rivalries are now pretending that pitch invasion is because of political developments in the country and seek to present what happened yesterday as revolutionary.

“We respect sports and gullible people should not try to draw useless parallels with our politics. There is no need to take a political decision or viewpoint on what happened yesterday — merely a soccer match gone bad.”